Safety-fastener for envelops or other containers.



UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT Orr-Ice.

sAFETY-FAsTENi-:R Fon ENvELoPs 0R OTHER CONTAINERS. y

SPESIFIGATION forming' part of Letters atent No, 758,379, dated April 26, y1904.

' Application iled October 19, 1903. Serial No. 17 7,605. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern: y'

Be it knownfthat l, J oNArHAN N osEwoRTHY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of St. Johns, in the Colony of Newfoundland, have invented a new and Improved Safety-Fastener for Envelops or other Containers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My inventio-n relates to a safety-fastening for envelops and other packages or containers for the storage or transportation pf valuables, although the fastening is especially useful in connection with envelops for carrying money, valuable papers, and important communications by mail or express.

The leading feature of my invention is a fastening which is effective in keeping the envelop or package in a securely-closed condition, which cannot be opened by the insertion of a wire or other implement, and is capable of being easily and quickly manipulated when it is desired to close and fasten the container.

Further objects and advantages of the in-` vention will appear'in the course of the subjoined description, and the actual scope thereof will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures Figure 1 isa rear elevation, showing my improved safety-fastening in connection with an envelop, the latter being partly brokenv away and in Vsection to represent the fastening in its applied position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional elevation taken in the plane of the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of an envelop in an opened or spread conditionfrepresenting the safety-fastening made in one piece with the envelop-blank; and Fig. 4c is acles, and other containers, Whether made of paper, cloth, orany other material. Y

y I will first proceed to describe my invention-y in the'embodirnent disclosed by Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive,wherein an envelop-blank A is shownv as having a bottom iiap c, end iap's c', and av sealing-flat a2, the envelop-blank being of the usual style known to those skilled in the art fied in construction so that it will embracea pocket or sheath member of the fastening and a key member of said fastening. The bottoml or back iiap c of the envelop-blank is fashioned, as shown by Fig. 3, so as to produce" adapted to receive a key member of the fas-'- tening presently described. The pocket or isheath member is provided with short longitudinal slots 9, substantially parallel t0 and intersecting with' the crease-lines 7 and this pocket member is provided with a curved JONATHAN NOSVVORTHY, OF STA. JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND.

vso far as described. In the manufacture of the blank to embody my invention it is modi- .60"

slot 10, which is adapted to form a tongue l 11, that'is bent or folded from the material of the pocket member. The back and end flaps a c of the envelop-blank are provided with slots 12, which are adapted to register or coincide when the end flaps a' are fold? vmaking provision for the reception of the tongue 1l, forming a part of the sheath member of the safety-fastening, as will presently appear. The sealing-flap a2 of the envelopblank is extended and fashioned to produce a key 13, the latter being provided with a longitudinal slot 14, which terminates in an opening or eye 15. The slot 14; extends from the opening or eye through the end edge of the key, thereby dividing the latter into two jaws, which are adapted to be compressed or otherwise manipulated so as to make them overlap one another when the key is thrust into the pocket or sheath 5. The jaws of the key are inclined or tapered, as at 16, and they are IOO provided with laterally-extended wings 17 which project in opposite directions from the key, each wing having a lip 18, which is foldable on the crease or score line 19.

The blank shown by Fig. 3 is adapted to be cut or stamped without appreciable waste from a single piece of paper or any other suitable material, and this blank is folded in the following way to produce an envelop having the safety-fastening embodied as an integral part thereof: The side iiaps 8 of the pocket or sheath member are first doubled or folded into lapping relation, the end flaps a of the envelop are then folded upon the body thereof to bring the Slots 12 into alinement, and, finally, the back iiap t is folded over and upon the lapping end flaps to bring the slot 12 in said back flap into registration with the similar slots of the end flaps c. The sheath or pocket in its folded condition is now turned or adjusted inside of the envelop in a way to bring the tongue 11 of said sheath or pocket into position to pass through the coincident slots 12 of the back and end iiaps, substantially as shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings. Of course the back flap c may be sealed against the end iiaps, if desired, and the envelop is a complete article adapted to receivera suitable inclosure, after which the sealing-flap a2 and the key 13 are closed in the following way: The slotted key 13 has its jaws or members pressed together so as to make them overlap and to bringthe wings 17 into close relation, the width of the key in this condition being less than the width of the sheath or pocket 5. Before the key is thrust into the envelop the lips 18 should be folded upon the wings 17, and the key in the described condition is thrust through the coincident slots 12 and above the folded tongue 11 of the pocket. The key passes through the slots of the several flaps and into the pocket in the manner shown by Fig. 2, and by shoving the key lengthwise in the pocket the flap a2 can be closed. The continued movement of the key along the sheath or pocket will bring the wings 17 of the key opposite to the slots 9 of the pocket, whereupon the elasticity or springA of the divided key will cause it to 4spread so that the wings, with their folded lips 18, will pass through the slots 9 of said pocket, after which the lips 18 will open of their own accord sufciently to catch against the pocket, as shown by Fig. 1, and thereby prevent the surreptitious withdrawal of the key from the pocket in order to unfasten the envelop or other container.

I reserve the right to construct the safetyfastening in a separate piece from the envelop or other container, substantially as shown by Fig. 4 of the drawings, in which the pocket and key of the fastening are made in separate pieces of cardboardor stiff paper or other appropriate material. The key 13 is provided with a'longitudinal slot to form the two jaws and with the eye 15, said jaws of the key having wings 17 and the folded lips 18. The pocket or sheath 5 is' provided with a tongue 11 at one end and with the slots 9 in the sides thereof, said pocket or sheath being made of proper material folded or doubled upon itself to produce a key-chamber. In this view, Fig. 4 of the drawings, the key 13 is shown' as having its members or jaws compressed and lapped for insertion into the pocket, and when the key has passed far enough into the pocket the jaws will spread, so as to make the wings 17 pass through the slots 9, after which the lips 18 will open and prevent the accidental or surreptitious withdrawal of the key from the sheath or pocket.

It is not absolutely necessary to employ the lips 18 or 18 inthe construction shown by Figs. 1, 3, and 4 of the drawings, because the wings 17 or 17 will prevent the endwise movement of the key within the pocket in the attempt to withdraw said key; but the lips 18 or 18 contribute to the security of the fastening, because they will retain the key in its locked condition against any attempt to withdraw said key by thrusting a wire or other implement into the fastening, so as to close the members or jaws of the key in a way to permit its removal from the sheath or pocket.

In using the fastening when constructed as shown by Fig. 4 in connection with an envelop or other container the end and back flaps should be provided with a slot, whereas the key 13 may be cemented, glued, or otherwise fastened to the sealing-ii ap. The pocket or sheath is placed inside of the envelop for its tongue 11 to pass through the slots in the back and end flaps of said envelop, after which the sealing-flap may be closed and the key 13 adj usted in the manner described, so as to pass through the pocket and engage with the slotted side portions 9 thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. An envelop having end and back flaps provided with coinciding slots, a pocket inside the envelop on the back thereof, said pocket having slots and a tongue which passes through 4the coinciding slots of the several flaps serving to hold the aps together, and a key on the sealing-flap, said key being divided or slitted and provided with wings, the key being insertible into the pocket through the slots of the envelop-flaps, and the wings of said key being spread into interlocking engagement with the slots of the pocket.

2. An envelop having end and bottom flaps each flap being provided with a slot, said slots being all arranged to coincide with each other when the flaps are in folded position, a pocket inside the envelop on the back thereof, said pocket having slots on its side edges, and at its upper end having a tongue passing out through the coinciding slots of the several flaps serving to hold the aps together, and a IOO IIC)

IoV

key on the sealing-Hap, said key being longitudinally slitted and provided with wings, the key being insertible from the outside of the envelop into the pocket through the coinciding slots in the envelop-flaps and also serving to hold the iaps together, and the wings ofV said key being spread into interlocking engagement with the slots of the pocket.

3. An envelop having end and back flaps.

ing insertible into the pocket through the co-v inciding slots of the iiaps, and the wings of said key being spread linto interlocking engagement with the pocket.

4. An envelop having end and bottom iiaps provided with coinciding slots, a pocket on the vback flap formed from a blank having an elongated central section with a curved slit extending across its upper end and integral side sections creased on parallel longitudinal lines and designed to be folded in direction of each other into lapping engagement with one side of said central section to form said blank into the pocket, said creases each having near'its lower ends a slot to form openings in the side edges of the pocket and a longitudinal key on the sealing-flap of the envelop adapted to cooperate with said pocket, said key being longitudinally slitted and having wings on its sides at its outer ends, said wings being provided on their outer side with lips adapted to be folded into overlapping engaginent with the wings, the longitudinal slit inthe key permitting its sides to be sprung edgewise overlapping each other to reduce the width of the key to permit the same with its wings to easily enter said pocket on the bottom iiap of the envelop, the resiliency of the sides of the key forcing said wings outwardly and causing them together with their lips to enter the slots in the side edges of the pocket when said slots have been reached, said lips when passed through the walls of the pocket to the outside thereof being permitted to unfold by their own resiliency to form projections on. said wings to prevent them from being withdrawn from the slots in the pocket.

5. An envelop having end and bottom iaps each Hap being provided with a slot, said slots being all arranged to register with each other when the flaps are in folded position, said bottom iiap being also provided with a pocket,

Vin the side edges of the pocket.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscrlbing witnesses.

AJoiwirnaiv Nosnwoarnv.

Witnesses:

' H. T. BERNHARD,

JNO. M; RITTER. 

